


Buried Treasures

by Czechmate



Series: Treasures- Rouxls/Rudinn smut [3]
Category: Deltarune (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Extremely Dubious Consent, Mild Blood, Omorashi, Other, Overstimulation, Physical Abuse, Rough Sex, Scratching, Sexual Abuse, kingkaard, rudouxls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-16 03:29:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17541824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Czechmate/pseuds/Czechmate
Summary: Trying to seduce the King of Spades seemed like a good idea at the time...





	Buried Treasures

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to preface this by noting that this is all fiction and that real-life rape is unquestionably wrong. I view reading works of fiction that involve it as a form of consensual non-consent. By going ahead and reading this, you are consenting to read about fictional non-consensual acts. 
> 
>  
> 
> This one got a lot darker than I meant it to. This and the next part were originally going to be all one work, but it got way too long and unfocused and I had to split them up. So, this one has a lot more Kingkaard than Rudouxls. But the next one will be back to the fluff, I promise!

Before the King of Spades took over, the four kings shared power equally. Each had their own personal court consisting of their families and servants, while the rest of the kingdom lived in obedience to all four. To maintain the power-balance, the kings kept their courts small. So, to be chosen to serve one of the four royal families was a great honor. To ask to be let into a court was out of the question.

 

And yet, here they were.

 

When a simple desk clerk whose duties mostly involved transcribing notes from meetings and drafting royal notices had requested an appointment with the King of Spades, he wasn't sure what he expected. But it certainly wasn't to be _informed_ by this man that someday soon he was _going_ to let him into his court.

 

Despite being rather low ranking, most people knew him by reputation. There were three camps of opinion on him. The first thought that he was an arrogant twat with no redeeming qualities. The second thought he was the most gorgeous thing they'd ever seen. The third: both.

 

Most people fell into the third.

 

The King of Spades, however, was staunchly in the first. Though, admittedly, there had been a small increase in admiration for his ambition after he so boldly announced that he was going to _let_ the King make him a member of his court.

 

Funny thing was, he was clearly nervous. He tried to hide it behind what the King was sure the man thought was a debonair smile, but the anxious air that he gave off most of the time that he spent around royalty was clear. Nevertheless, he grinned and bared it. It was like he was a living embodiment of the phrase 'Fake it 'til you make it.'

 

The King chuckled. “And exactly why would you be so... generous, Kaard?”

 

“Simple,” Rouxls continued as though he were being interviewed for a job, “In addition to unwavering Loyalty and Obedience, I can offer thee somethinge nay any one else can.”

 

“And that is...?”

 

“Thou can'tst break me.”

 

His smile became more confident as confusion spread across the King's face.

 

“What the hell are you going on about, Kaard?”

 

Rouxls' voice became softer, “Thou missith her, does thee not?”

 

The King felt a pang of sorrow and anger. What was this asshole doing bringing up _her_ up? How dare he think he had any right to talk about such a personal matter?

 

“I certainly can't beest everythinge the Lady wast to thee, and I intendeth not to tryeth. I couldst never beest thine Queen.” Rouxls took a step closer, cocked his head to one side, and looked the King directly in the eye.

 

“But I can beest thy concubine.”

 

There was a brief moment where the King stared at the clerk in disbelief before sputtering with laughter from both mouths.

 

“Why would you think I want a concubine, and _why in creation_ would you think I would want _you_?”

 

Kaard was unperturbed by his reaction. In fact, he seemed to have expected it. He emphasized his words very carefully, never breaking eye contact.

 

“Because. Thou. Can'tst. Break. Me.

 

Thou art a very Large Creature. I'm sure there art very few who art bothe willing and able to accommodateth thine size. That must be... _frustrating_ for thee.”

 

The King was shocked at how brazen the clerk was being. It had been clear to him from the moment they met that Kaard had delusions of grandeur, but he'd never expected him to be one to try and _sleep_ his way to the top.

 

Kaard hooked his fingers on either side of his mouth and stretched the rubbery skin of his face wide. His jaw practically unhinged. It was... actually pretty disgusting.

 

“What the fuck?! Stop that! It's creepy!”

 

He massaged his face after bringing it back to normal. “Doth thee think it will fitteth inside me? I can stretcheth farth'r if thee needeth me to. Mine species ist also hermaphroditic, so that openeth up... possibilities.”

 

The King almost blushed at the sheer lewdness of the whole situation. “Not interested, Kaard. Get out of here before I have to throw you out myself.” He considered reporting the whole situation to the other Kings, but GOD did he not want to have to tell anyone else about what had just happened.

 

Kaard sighed, “Very well, Your Majesty. I shall taketh mine leave. Sorry to have wastededeth thy time.” He shook his hair out of his eyes and took a deep breath. “Alloweth me to leaveth thee with one parting thought.”

 

He paused to look meaningfully at the King. He spoke very slowly, in a low and husky voice, “One day, you'll get restless. You'll be desperate to sink that big thing of yours into tight, pliable flesh. And when you do, I'll be there, ready to _serve_ you, _Your Majesty_.”

 

He turned and sauntered toward the door, making sure to sway his hips on his way out.

 

 

 

Rouxls walked through the halls of Card Castle back to his room, too exhausted to teleport. He tried his hardest to keep his thoughts on the present. Take one step. Take another step. Breathe in and out. Don't think about-

 

Inevitably, though, his thoughts would always come back to the time he had just spent with the King. It had been... bad. In fact, it had never been worse. The pain, guilt, and humiliation he felt would well up inside him and when it all became too much, his mind would go blank and it was back to the mundane. Step into the elevator. Push the button. Lean against the wall for support. Keep breathing.

 

He arrived at the entrance of his shop to find a small Lancer-shaped figure lying in front of the door.

 

What was the King's hell spawn doing out of his room at this late an hour? Rouxls studied the sleeping boy. He was a miniature of his father. Rouxls wondered if the child would grow up to be anything like the King. Even though he was as cruel to his own child as he was to everyone else, Lancer still looked up to him and craved his approval.

 

It was then that Rouxls noticed the jar of worms cradled in his arms. Perched on top was what appeared to be a head band with small cat-like ears. He must have been planning some kind of joke and was waiting for Rouxls to get back so that he could show him.

 

Oh, Lancer. He was not easy to love, but he was impossible to hate.

 

Rouxls wished he could just scoop up the small prince and put him to bed without waking him, but he was much too tired to carry him. Instead, he knelt down and gently prodded the child awake.

 

He awoke with a snort and looked up the duke looming over him.

 

“Lancer, 'tis time for bed.”

 

“I wanted to show you! I tried to make ears for them, but they kept falling off. So I just put ears on the jar.”

 

“Where didst thee get this?” Rouxls inquired as he poked at the cat-ears?

 

“Trash can.”

 

Rouxls sighed. “Lancer, what wouldst people sayeth if they did see the young prince pawing through garbage?”

 

“They'd say...” He momentarily fell asleep halfway through his sentence, only to wake up and ask, “How many?”

 

“How many, what?”

 

“HOW MANY?”

 

The Duke rolled his eyes and gave up. “Five.”

 

The sleepy boy was motionless for a second.

 

“.. _.Big money,_ ” he whispered.

 

“Lancer, go back to sleep... In thy room.”

 

With much effort, the Prince of Spades got on his feet. “Ok. Good night, Blue Dad.”

 

Despite everything the King had done to him, Rouxls smiled as the round child lumbered off to his room. “Good night, strange son.”

 

 

 

It was hot. It was so fucking hot.

 

Summer was upon them and it was the hottest day of the season. Everyone was uncomfortable and irritable. It was not at all ideal conditions for a royal meeting of the four kings. Never the less, that's where the King of Spades found himself this stifling day. The King of Clubs' three heads were arguing with themselves over... something. The King of Spades had lost the thread of the conversation long ago and his mind and eyes were wondering aimlessly.

 

That stupid clerk was there acting as court stenographer, which was pointless since he spent so much time elaborately lettering every word that he never got anything important written down. Of course, he had stopped taking notes several minutes ago. He looked as bored as the King felt.

 

He watched as the clerk pulled back his long hair to get it off of his neck and tie it in a high ponytail. Small tresses in the front hung down and framed his face nicely. He was almost unmistakable from a woman.

 

Rouxls' usual jacket had been shed and placed on the back of the chair he was sitting in. His skin was dripping with sweat and slime. It was pooling in the indents of his collarbones and slowly spilling down his tank top when he moved. The King wished he could watch it running down his bare chest and lick it off-

 

NO. NO. NO.

 

Fuck! This was _not_ happening! He did _not_ just think that! He did _not_ want to fuck this stupid prick.

 

The King of Spades did his best to try to follow the conversation he had zoned out of, but it was still just pointless bickering. He couldn't bring himself to care.

 

It was just a fluke. It was too damn hot and it was making him think weird things. If he looked back at the clerk, he would feel the same indifference he always felt. Everything would be normal.

 

He chanced a look back at the blue man to find him already staring back at him. Rouxls licked his upper lip obscenely and then broke into a seductive grin and winked. God, what an asshole.

 

He... he couldn't read minds, could he?

 

 

 

It was the next day when Rouxls was approached by a young Hathy. The mute creature gave a small curtsy as she stuck a tentacle into her breast pocket and produced an envelope. One the front was his name and the words TOP SECRET.

 

Rouxls took the letter with a flourish. “I thank thee, little lady bug.”

 

The Hathy gave a bashful smile. With a wave of her tentacle, she was off.

 

The Duke turned the letter over in his hands. He was not positive, but he had a suspicion that it was from his Treasure. He would need to make sure he was in a secure place when he read it. The safest thing to do would be to go back to his room, read it immediately, and then destroy it. After looking around to make sure he was alone, he teleported away.

 

When he reassembled in his quarters behind his shop, he opened the envelope. His suspicions were confirmed when he read the contents of the letter within.

 

_I switched guard duty with one of the Rudinns who patrols the first floor at night._

_Come down two nights from now and I can show you were I live._

 

Rouxls scoffed internally at the Rudinn's handwriting. It was a disaster compared to his own immaculate script. Somehow, though, it was incredibly endearing. Though he knew he should get rid of the evidence, he couldn't bring himself to destroy a note that his Treasure had written for him and taken great risk in sending. He tucked it face down at the very bottom of a drawer full of other papers.

 

The Duke sighed at the implications of the message. The two of them had talked about meeting in their room so that he could then teleport there whenever he wanted to. It seemed like a perfect plan yesterday. Of course, that was before...

 

He shook his head and tried not to think about it, but he was suddenly aware of the irritation of his clothes brushing against the scabs on his back.

 

 

 

As soon as Rouxls saw the look in the King's eye, he knew exactly what he had come to him for.

 

 _Perfect_.

 

The King grabbed him by the wrist and practically dragged him out of his shop and down the halls of the castle. With his rubbery physiology, it didn't hurt much, but it still shocked Rouxls how forceful and forward the King was being.

 

They arrived at the King's quarters. He slammed the door behind them before letting go of Rouxls' wrist.

 

“Take off your clothes.” He was commanding, though he seemed ashamed of himself.

 

Rouxls was absolutely thrilled and a little bit shocked that his plan had worked so well. He put on his best bedroom eyes and feigned the affect of the heroine in some kind of harlequin romance, “Why, Your Magest-”

 

“ _Shut up_ ,” the King barked, cutting the display short. “Lights off. No talking.”

 

Rouxls was mildly disappointed as he began to strip unceremoniously, but if the King didn't care about romance, it was just as well. They were both still getting exactly what they wanted out of the deal.

 

“I'm only doing this because you put the idea in my head and now it won't _leave_.” The King turned off the lights and began shedding his own clothes. “It's just this once. Just to get it out of my system.” Though he seemed irritated with his own perceived weakness, his voice was filled with longing.

 

It wasn't long before he had Rouxls bent over, exposing his wet cunt. Rouxls sighed at the waves of pleasure rolling over him as the King's lower tongue began tasting and opening him up. Though he couldn't see it, Rouxls could feel the King's erection growing. It was huge and it was only getting bigger. He'd never taken anything that large before.

 

God, the things that tongue was doing to him... Without even realizing what he was doing, he began stroking his own cock as the King's tongue pushed deeper and deeper inside him. He was starting to feel close when the tongue was retracted and replaced with a massive cock rubbing between his legs. Rouxls moaned as it slid back and forth beneath his pussy, now dripping with a mixture of the King's saliva and his own juices.

 

He could hear the King growling behind him as he pushed the tip into the wet entrance. Rouxls clutched at the sheets and breathed deeply as he was slowly filled. His stomach was distended with the King's girth as he paused for a moment inside him.

 

The king slide back out, leaving only the glans inside Rouxls, and then sharply trusted his entire length back in.

 

Rouxls came immediately. He cried out as his cock spurted onto the bed while the King continued to rut roughly behind him. Every thrust was more powerful than anything Rouxls had experienced before. It was equal parts pain and pleasure, fear and ecstasy.

 

The King practically roared as he came inside him. With the massive cock already stretching him farther than he'd ever been stretched, the hot fluid pumping into him was almost too much to stand. He cried out, forcing himself to stay conscious.

 

The King's semen flooded out of him like a damn had burst when he pulled out. Rouxls collapsed onto the bed, completely exhausted. He'd never been fucked so hard before. It was fucking _amazing_. After spending a few moments savoring his triumph and catching his breath, he gingerly rolled over onto his back to sit up and face the King.

 

What he saw was not what he had hoped to see. The King was sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking slightly. His breathing was ragged, but not from physical exertion. He almost looked as if he were about to cry.

 

“Your Magesty?”

 

“Don't.” His voice was sharp, but quiet.

 

Rouxls knew that the King missed his Queen, but it hadn't occurred to him until now that such an intimate act might bring back some painful memories. For the first time, he felt guilty about seducing him.

 

Wait, why was _he_ feeling guilty? Stupid, useless emotion. The King of Spades was a grown man. Not only that, he was a _King_! He didn't have to do anything he didn't want to. He came here of his own free will.

 

“Just go.” The King's voice was still quiet. He never even looked at Rouxls.

 

 

 

There was nothing else to be done about it. He needed to come clean. He needed to tell them everything.

 

Rouxls didn't bother teleporting down to the first floor. He didn't even take the elevator. He needed the walk to get his thoughts in order. He paused and gathered his courage before stepping out of the stairwell and onto the first floor.

 

In spite of his nerves, in spite of everything that had occurred, he felt nothing but joy when he spotted the little green creature slithering toward him. They gave him a sheepish smile and scuttled off, gesturing for him to follow.

 

They walked down a row of identical, diamond-shaped doors and glanced back at the Duke before unlocking the final door in the hallway.

 

Even for a creature half Rouxls' size, the Rudinn's room was tiny. The top of Rouxls' head was only a few inches below the ceiling. There wasn't much in it, either. Just a bed, a dresser, and a few boxes scattered on top of a pile of glittering jewels.

 

They closed the door behind them quietly. “I know it's not much. And it's Rudinn-sized.”

 

“It's fine for what it is. It suits the life of a soldier.”

 

The Rudinn sat on the side of the bed, which was small enough that Rouxls' feet were sure to hang off the edge of it were he to try and sleep on it. A blush crept onto their face as they patted the space on the bed next to them for Rouxls to sit on.

 

“My Treasure,” there was sadness in his voice as he joined them, “Much as I'd love to be amorous as usual, there's something I need to tell you.

 

I need to be honest with you.

 

I need to tell you everything.

 

Starting from the beginning.”

 

 

 

Rouxls sat on the King's bed, hugging his arms around his knees. He was already unclothed and mentally preparing himself for what was to come. This would be the first time being with the King since beginning his affair with his Treasure. Even though they already knew about him and the King, Rouxls couldn't help feeling ashamed.

 

He needed to relax. He wasn't sure what to expect from his Majesty tonight, but he knew it would be much worse if he was tense. Closing his eyes, he imagined his Treasure's gentle touch on his bare skin. Their lips had been wrapped so tightly around his cock only hours ago. Despite his nerves, Rouxls felt a pleasurable squirming in his abdomen at the memory. Their sweet embarrassed face was fucking exquisite.

 

Rouxls knew he had no right to be this happy about anything.

 

Before he had even heard his footsteps coming down the hallway, Rouxls knew the King was close. He could feel his lust. It was a much different feeling from his Treasure's or any one else's for that matter. This wasn't a desire for affection or procreation. This wasn't even the desire to hurt him that he had felt coming off of doms and sadists.

 

No, this was harder to read. It was like something evil was living inside the King and calling out to Rouxls.

 

This was something very sick.

 

The door swung open much less forcefully than Rouxls had expected. The King looked absolutely menacing in the shadows of the hallway. A surge of adrenaline shot through Rouxls as he uncurled his legs into a sitting position. There was a cruel, almost sarcastic smile on the King's face.

 

“My duke.” His deep voice rumbled dangerously low. “So very _loyal_ to me. So willing to let me do whatever I want to you.”

 

Rouxls tried to feign composure. “You know I'm here to serve you, Your Majesty.”

 

The King approached the foot of the bed and studied his prey. “Tell me, is it really out of loyalty that you serve me?” He traced the curve of Rouxls' naked hip with one claw. “Or do you only obey me because you know I could destroy you if I wanted?”

 

“O-of course not, your Majesty,” he lied.

 

“Wrong answer.”

 

Rouxls hissed in pain as the claw dug sharply into his skin.

 

“Say that you're afraid of me.”

 

He gulped. “I'm afraid of you.”

 

He raised his hand and brought it down so quickly that Rouxls knew he was about to be hit. But as he winced in anticipation, the King stopped just short of striking him. Rouxls opened his eyes in confusion as the large paw cradled his face.

 

“You can't hide it from me.” There was a smug triumph in the King's voice. “I can smell the fear on you.”

 

For a few minutes, he simply stroked the Duke's face and hair, occasionally running his thick fingers through the white tresses. Rouxls knew he was trying to lull him into a false sense of security, but he couldn't deny that it felt so nice.

 

The spell was broken as the King grabbed Rouxls by the ankles and tugged his ass toward the edge of the bed. He bent down and slung Rouxls' legs over his shoulders so that he could have a better look at his swelling genitalia.

 

“Your body's already begging for it after just a bit of petting. What a perfect whore you are.” He spent several moments just staring at the glistening pussy and the cock beginning to poke out of its sheath. He took several deep breaths through his nose, a look of confusion on his face. Then a long, sinister chuckle erupted from his lower mouth. When he looked up at Rouxls, his teeth were bared in a frightening sneer. “And to think, I thought you were plotting against me...

 

Tell me, does your new lover know about us?”

 

The King's shit-eating grin only widened as Rouxls blanched with fear. Between shallow bursts of breath he managed to ask, “ _What_?!”

 

“Strange pheromones mixed with yours... You get hard and wet so easily... It's written all over your body.”

 

Rouxls could only stammer with terror.

 

“You haven't answered my question.”

 

“Please! They did nothing. They don't know. Please, don't hurt them.”

 

The King's loud explosion of laughter at Rouxls' begging was like a punch to the gut. “Why should I care who you fuck? I couldn't care less what you do in your spare time. It makes no difference to me.”

 

Rouxls couldn't decide if he should be relieved by this or not. There was no way he was getting out of this situation well.

 

“But I am surprised at your gall. Thinking you could hide this from me? I think that the both of you need a reminder of who you really belong to.”

 

Before he had registered what was happening, Rouxls found himself flipped over onto his stomach. When he tried to crane his neck up to see what the King was doing, it was forced back down by one of his mighty paws. So there he laid, face down on the bed, unable to see what was to be done to him.

 

Rouxls felt his legs being spread apart as he was once again dragged by the ankles so that his crotch lined up flush against the King's lower mouth. The enormous tongue slid along the folds of his vagina and all the way up to his cock. He couldn't hold back a shuddering sigh as the King very lightly dragged his claws down the entire length of Rouxls' back and then back up.

 

He was beginning loose himself in the pleasure when those sharp claws suddenly jabbed so forcefully into him that it broke the skin.

 

Rouxls yelped, more at the shock than the pain. The tongue eating him out grew more forceful. It was starting to wiggle its way inside him. In one stroke, the King swiped his claws down Rouxls' back.

 

This time, his scream was definitely from the pain. The tongue inside him pulled out and stretched all the way up to the tip of his cock. Rouxls could feel a tiny drops of blood beginning to trickle down his back as the tongue rocked back and forth, stimulating his asshole, pussy, and cock all at the same time.

 

God, he was in so much pain, yet felt so very good at the same time. Much to his shame, he could feel an orgasm starting to well up inside him. Just then, the tongue retreated back into the King's stomach-mouth, leaving Rouxls only with the unpleasant sensation of being cut. The pain was starting to lessen now.

 

Rouxls felt himself shift as a new weight was added to the lower edge of the bed. He could hear the rustling of clothing being shifted and moved.

 

“The scars will probably enough to mark my territory, but just in case...”

 

Rouxls screamed in agony as the fresh cuts on his back suddenly felt like they were on fire. Though he couldn't see it, the smell of ammonia and the sound of trickling water was enough to let Rouxls know what the King was doing.

 

So, he wasn't even fully hard yet. It was clear he was enjoying this, but not in a sexual way.

 

He really was just trying to humiliate him.

 

Rouxls buried his face in the bed to muffle his whimpering while listening to the King removing his clothes behind him. He tried to think of his Treasure to dull the pain, but it only made him feel worse.

 

The stinging in his back intensified as the King took a fistful of Rouxls' hair and jerked his head back, causing the cuts to open more. Rouxls was yanked around to face the nude King in front of him, holding his cock. Though flaccid, it was still enormous.

 

“Well?”

 

Rouxls knew what was expected of him. He took the shaft in both hands. It stiffened at his touch. Knowing that the King wasn't particularly patient, he opened his mouth wide and took in as much as he could. His hand moved down to fondle the Kings testicles. He give a few tentative sucks before the King's hand, which was still wrapped around the back of Rouxls' head, pushed him farther onto his cock.

 

It was uncomfortable, but he'd done this many times before. Concentrating on the task at hand helped take his mind off of the pain. He got into the rhythm, bobbing his head and relaxing the back of his throat to take the fat cock deeper and deeper. Soon, his genitals were throbbing with want again.

 

“So wet...” The King growled as he prodded the folds between Rouxls' thighs. “Even though you only do this out of fear, you love being used like the slut you are. You just couldn't get enough of it, could you? You had to find someone else to satisfy you. A greedy bitch like you always wants more.”

 

He grabbed Rouxls by the shoulders and pushed him off his cock and onto the bed, laying on his back. The Duke squeezed his eyes shut at the pain of his newly clotted cuts rubbing against the blanket. As the King crawled on top of him, Rouxls could feel the tip of his warm, hard cock at his entrance.

 

“You want more, don't you?

 

…

 

Take it.”

 

He thrust his massive girth into the opening, which stretched wide to allow him to go deeper. The King groaned with the euphoria of being inside the tight cunt again. Rouxls felt his gelatinous body molding to the King's length. He let his head loll to one side, his eyes still shut, but the King grabbed his chin and forced his head back up.

 

“No. Look at me. Look at your King.”

 

With the burning feeling of tears threatening to spill from his eyes, he opened them to see the King's ferocious face leering at him.

 

“That's right. My most loyal servant. I knew you wouldn't ever betray me.” His lower moth drooled as it laughed wildly. “You couldn't! You're much to cowardly and stupid for that!”

 

He began to thrust roughly. The tongue in his lower mouth went back to working Rouxls' cock, lapping at the pre-cum oozing out of it. Combined with the piston-like movements of the King's cock inside him, it was all too much. Rouxls covered his mouth as his own cock spurted all over his stomach.

 

“Enjoying this, Kaard?” Rouxls' walls were tightening and pulsating around the King's cock as he came. “Fuck!” He was panting with pleasure and exertion.

 

Rouxls felt dirty. Despite how wrong all of this was, it felt so good. The King knew his body too well. The tears he was holding back finally made good on their threat to escape. He tried once more to turn his head away, only for the King to jerk it back again.

 

“Don't you dare look away! Watching you cry while I fuck you is just too fucking good!”

 

He continued to thrust violently. Occasionally, he'd slow down and jam his cock as hard and far in as he could with each stroke. Rouxls' yelped loudly at each thrust.

 

Suddenly, the King pulled out of him completely. He grabbed hold of his cock and pumped forcefully. Rouxls just stared until, with a shout of ecstasy, he shot his load all over him. He felt the heat of the thick white ropes draping his blue body. He laid there catching his breath, a fucking mess of a man covered in blood, piss, tears, and semen.

 

“I wonder what your new lover would think if they could see you like this.”

 

Rouxls couldn't even feel shame. The physical and emotional exhaustion didn't allow him to feel much of anything. The King was always putting his clothes back on.

 

“Clean yourself up before you go. I wouldn't want those cuts getting infected. My Duke must always be willing and able to serve me.”

 

 

 

Rouxls couldn't look directly at his Treasure, but their horror and pity was obvious. He could see them shaking out of the corner of his eye.

 

“Sometimes, I worry that... it's because of me, somehow. Like, maybe _I'm_ the one who corrupted him.”

 

“You think this is _your_ fault?”

 

“Not entirely. But I think I set him down this path. It was... nice when it started. I mean, it was far from romantic. I doubt he ever even liked me. But we enjoyed pleasing each other. Eventually, things started to... _he_ started to change. He had always been rough, but he was never... cruel.” He sighed. “And he's only getting worse.”

 

The Rudinn nestled their head into Rouxls' shoulder. “I want to tell you to stay here. Or to run away with me. I want to hide you from him. But I know that would be a bad idea.”

 

“It would. He would find me.”

 

“I want to hold you, but you probably don't want that right now, huh?”

 

“I wouldn't say I don't _want_ it,” his voice broke as he continued, “but I'm afraid if you do, I'll never let go.”

 

The two sat motionless for several long moments. Neither wanted to admit the danger they were both in. The Duke was the one to finally break the silence.

 

“I know this all must be difficult to hear... and I know you want us to be together, but that might be too much of a burden for either of us to bare. He may not care about us, but he'll use you as leverage. He'll find out who you are.”

 

Surprisingly, the Rudinn sat up straight and gasped. “Wait! I almost forgot!”

 

Rouxls looked on questioningly as they got up and rummaged through a small box in the corner. Underneath a pile of glittering stones was a small object that they presented to him. After inspecting it for a moment, Rouxls realized that it was some sort of archaic flip phone.

 

“It's kind of a gift. I know it's a relic, but I figured you could keep it in a secret place and we could message each other when we need to. Or even just to... I dunno, talk about stuff?” Their face, which had been drained of blood the past few minutes, was starting to regain color at his embarrassment. “You probably have a better one, but this one would be totally private.”

 

Rouxls flipped the device open. It didn't even have a keyboard. “You understand, don't you, that we can't keep this up?”

 

The Rudinn looked at the floor sadly. “I understand that we shouldn't be intimate anymore. But even if we hadn't been... involved... I'd still think you need someone to talk to after hearing all that.”

 

Rouxls didn't understand. Why would this Rudinn still want to be associated with him when they weren't going to get anything out of it?

 

“You know I'm fake, right?”

 

“What?”

 

The Duke's voice cracked as it raised. “Everything about me is fake! My confidence, my accent... I don't know _fuck all_ about making puzzles!” He had nothing else to loose, he might as well bare everything. “All I do is try to trick people into thinking I'm somebody important, when I really am only good for _one thing_!”

 

Rouxls shut his mouth tightly, embarrassed at his outburst. After a thoughtful moment, the Rudinn spoke in a voice that was small, but steady.

 

“The way you make me feel isn't fake.”

 

Rouxls' felt butterflies stirring inside him. His mouth couldn't help but curl into a small smile that the Rudinn knew was genuine. Nervously, they smiled back.

 

“How's that?” Rouxls asked, a little more flirty than he new he should be.

 

“God, I could write a fucking book...” The blush on their face was deep now.

 

Rouxls suppressed a giggle as the butterflies doubled down on tickling his insides. “Thank you for the gift, my Treasure.” He pocketed the phone. “This means a lot.”

 

His smile faded as he sighed heavily. “Since we can't have sex, you should get back to guard duty.”

 

“...Yeah. I had only planned to take a few moments to show you the place, anyway.”

 

Rouxls hesitated for a moment, staring at the poor, dejected creature in front of him. He wished to god that things were different. In a moment of desperation, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to theirs. It was a gentle kiss, not of passion, but of longing. Both stayed in that position as long as they could, savoring their last bit of physical contact.

 

When they separated, the flustered Duke stood up to leave. “You'll hear from me soon,” he promised, trying to keep himself from getting too emotional again.

 

Then, with one last look, he was gone.

 

The Ruddin didn't realize how hard he was biting his lip to keep it from quivering as he waited for the sound of footsteps to fade away. He rubbed the sore flesh, took a deep breath, and went back to work.

 

The phone in Rouxls' pocket felt like a talisman keeping all the anxieties of life at bay for a few short moments. He may not be able to show them how he felt about them, but at least he had a friend.

 

That would be enough.

 


End file.
